Johnson had bad timing when he withdrew from Commanders job

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ben Johnson had unfortunate timing when he withdrew from Commanders job

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 1/30/24

The Washington Commanders front office likely wasn’t mad about Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson not being interested in their head-coaching job.

What likely didn’t sit right with them was the timing of Johnson letting them know he was staying in Detroit.

According to CBS Sports; Jonathan Jones, Johnson, the presumed favorite for the Washington job according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, informed the Commanders that he was withdrawing from consideration for their HC job while the team was in the air and en route to interview him for the position.

Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has two years remaining on his contract with Detroit. His deal was not adjusted to stay, per league source, proving that money is not Johnson’s biggest motivation. The Lions still could opt to adjust the contract down the line, but it’s…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 30, 2024

Fortunately for the Commanders coaching search committee, which included team owner Josh Harris, recently hired general manager Adam Peters, newly hired head of football operations Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman, they also had a second interview lined up with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as well, so it wasn’t a wasted flight.

Washington has already interviewed a handful of head-coaching candidates and was beginning its second round of interviews that included Glenn, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver and Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who announced on Tuesday he was staying in Houston.

The Commanders also interviewed their own offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, two weeks ago, but it doesn’t appear that he’s going to be a finalist.

Washington is looking for a new head coach for the first time since 2020. The team fired Ron Rivera on Jan. 8 following a 4-13 season. In four years with the Commanders, Rivera compiled a 26-40-1 record with one playoff appearance and no winning seasons. His best year came in 2022 when Washington went 8-8-1.

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